March 26/09 20:32 pm - Redlands Classic: Prologue

Posted by Editoress on 03/26/09

Redlands press release

With five technical kilometers of time-trialing on the schedule in the opening prologue of the 2009 Redlands Bicycle Classic, Ben Day of the Fly V Australia Team presented by The Successful Living Foundation and Amber Neben of Team Nurnberger/Sho-Air conducted a clinic for the Men's and Women's peloton (respectively).

With a winning time that spanned 25+ seconds to second place finisher Mara Abott of Team Columbia Highroad, Neben, the current World Time Trial Champion, ripped up the challenging prologue course to post the incredible time of 10:40.67. Teammates Mara Abott and Ina Tutenberg of Team Columbia Highroad rode incredibly strong posting finishing times within a single second of each other at 11:07.55 and 11:07.84 respectively. Rounding out the top five was Alison Power of Team Type 1 (11:18.50) and Katheryn Mattis of Webcor Builders Cycling (11:42.15).

In the men's race Ben Day of Fly V Australia presented by The Successful Living Foundation continued his winning ways that started just one week ago with a Stage and Overall win at the San Dimas Stage Race. Day scorched the course in a time of 9:19.88, with Brent Bookwalter of BMC Racing and Tom Zirbel rounding out the podium at 9:23.42 and 9:26.13 respectively. Coming in at fourth and fifth for the men's category was Chris Baldwin of Rock Racing at 9:28.44 and Jeff Louder of BMC Racing at 9:31.68.

With a long and challenging stage in front of the riders tomorrow in Beaumont, the teams of Nurnberger/Sho-Air and Fly V Australia presented by The Successful Living Foundation will have their work cut out to defend the coveted RBC race leaders jersey.